Precognitive
by Lolsome-o-sis girl
Summary: First time writing for this fandom, so I'm sorry if this is a bit weird, since I haven't seen the whole film for ages. Modern day AU, and not entirely sure where this is going. ANYWAY, enough of me, please read, and review if you want, but most of all...enjoy! Rated T for some language. I will write a proper summary when I have a better idea of where this is going. DISCLAIMER!
1. Down the hole of pain

_**Precognitive**_

_**Titanic**_

_**T**_

_**1. Down the hole of pain**_

"C'mon, Rose, it'll be fun!"

I lay back on the grassy turf of our back garden, shielding my eyes from the glaring sun of Pennsylvania that was burning down on us from the beautiful, brilliant blue sky, fluffy white clouds ghosting past.

"Rose!" The whiny voice sounded again from beside me, and my view was suddenly blocked by a large shadow.

"Cal!" I groaned. "Seriously, do you mind?"

"Are you even listening to me?" Thirty year old Caledon Hockley stood over me, pouting childishly. I had only known him for about a year, and it was clear to me that he had not matured from aged five. He'd been taken in by my parents before I was born, but had recently moved back to our area of Philadelphia, and now, he dropped in every waking moment he wasn't working.

I sat up, letting the floppy sunhat that balanced on top of my head fall to the ground beside me.

"I told you, Cal," I said, rearranging my skirt, so that the few sequins on the hem reflected the rays from the sun. "I don't like opera."

Cal stepped over my legs and stood in the sun again, his body throwing a dark shadow over me. He was almost the spitting image of my parents; it was easy to see why they had taken him in. All of them had the same dark hair, and wolf-like eyes that pierced right inside you. It was almost as if I was the one that was adopted, not Cal - I was petite and slim, with waves of scarlet curls rolling down my back, and baby blue eyes framed by long lashes.

"Rose..." Cal wheedled, breaking my short inner monologue. "Please? I wanted to do something nice for you - we all chipped in for the tickets! Look, I know that you don't like that sort of thing, but, you should give it a chance! Besides, Mom -"

He got cut off as he noticed the look of distaste that crossed my face, one which I tried to hide as I spoke.

"She isn't your Mom, Cal." It was a low blow, but still...I REALLY didn't want to sit through two hours of opera. Especially on my birthday. So far I had refused - sometimes politely, other times...not so much.

"I know that it would mean the world to Mom - I mean, RUTH - if you agreed to go."

"I know." He was using the guilt trick on me, the bastard.

"C'mon, Rose...for Ruth, if no one else? You'll be starting junior year after Summer Break...Can't you see that we just want our little Rosie to come back once in a while?"

I groaned, running a hand through my hair. Cal must really want me to agree with him. He was pulling out all the stops.

"What are we going to do with the tickets if we don't use them, Rose?" Cal switched track. "Surely, before you become an old killjoy like me -"

"Well, that's true, if nothing else," I muttered. He continued like I hadn't spoken.

"- surely, you'll be a good sport for an evening? You have plenty of time for being a grouchy so-and-so when you get to your thirties."

"Like you," I said teasingly.

"Exactly. Come on, we worked hard for your birthday, Rose." He fixed me with his pleading gaze.

Crap. I couldn't argue with him now. He had won me over.

"Fine. I'll go and tell Mom."

"That's my Rose." He threw his arms around me, before recoiling a second later. "Oh, ick! You're soaking and now you've made me wet too!"

I found myself cracking a smile, laughter escaping my throat. I'd run the hose over me an hour ago to try and cool off. Not that I'd tell Cal that, of course. He may not be my biological brother, but the rules of sibling torture still applied.

I stood, before turning and starting towards the house, my flip flops clattering against the sanded boards that separated our house from the garden. I paused as I reached the glass doors that led into the kitchen. I looked back at Cal, who mouthed _"GO ON!"_ and made shoo-ing motions with his hands. Resolved, rolling my eyes, I slid the door open, greeted by the familiar smell of garlic, butter and tomato paste. Mom looked up from the steaming strainer of pasta as I came in.

"Hello, Rose, honey." She gave me a smile. "Coming in for good now, or taking a break?"

"Break?" The word came out as a question, as I fidgeted. "Mom?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Umm...I just wanted to say...I'm sorry about the opera tickets."

"That's okay, honey." Mom gave me a sad smile. "Guess we should have known. You don't like opera. Most seventeen year olds don't nowadays."

"Mom, I don't mind going tonight. Really. You all wanted to make my birthday special, so, I want to go tonight, and spend time with you all."

"Are you sure, baby?" Mom frowned. "I mean, we could do something else tonight -"

"I'm sure, Mom," I interrupted, trying to smile at the thought of two hours of opera. Yippee...?

Mom pulled me into a soft hug, and I burrowed my face into her shoulder.

"Did Cal happen to have anything to do with this sudden change of your mind?"

"Well...maybe," I admitted.

"Ah," Mom grinned, nodding. "Is he staying for dinner?"

"Yeah." It was my turn to nod now.

"What are you going to wear tonight?" Mom said absentmindedly. "Do you still have that dress that Grandmomma gave you for Christmas?"

"Yes." I fought back a shudder, instantly wishing that I'd lied. It was the most hideous piece of clothing ever made. It should be burned. I would never forget the humiliation I felt when I first unwrapped it, and Cal had howled with laughter, almost choking on his mug of coffee, while I started plotting his murder, eyes narrowed.

"Does it still fit?" Mom asked now.

"No," I lied.

"You're lying, Rose."

"I'm not!" I lied again, blushing. It was the thing that gave away whether I was lying or not - it was a very unwanted reaction that I would have to learn to master.

"Rose Dewitt Bukater..." Mom rolled her eyes, sighing. I know - my name is such a mouthful. And Mom hadn't even mentioned my middle names.

*DTHOP*

I knew that I had to be a good sport that evening, but, good God, the opera was worse than I feared, not least because I was wearing Grandmomma's awful present, and Cal had snorted every time he had glanced in my direction. God, when he'd first seen me in the thing, he'd practically wet himself. At least I was nearly complete with the murder plan...all I needed were hit men.

"Wasn't that enthralling, Rose?" Mom asked, as we - namely me, Mom, Dad and Cal - crossed the brightly lit parking lot.

"Sure," I said, trying to sound genuine.

"Not as enthralling as Rose's dress, however," Cal said, nudging Dad, who chuckled, showing the first spark of life I'd seen from him since we'd left the house. He was probably drunk and had been asleep through the entire opera. I wish that I had been too. I glared in their direction, before stalking off the car, trying to ignore the laughter coming from behind me.

"Boys!" Mom scolded, before lowering the volume of her voice. "Take no notice, Rose, sweetheart. You look beautiful."

"Hmm," I replied.

We all piled into the car, me and Cal squashed in the back.

_**"Fun times,"**_ I mouthed at him.

_**"Happy birthday,"**_ he mouthed back.

_**"Thanks."**_

We pulled out of the parking lot, swinging onto the highway. I glanced out of my window, watching the dark shapes of familiar landscapes rush past, too fast for my eyesight to decipher what I was truly looking at. Bored, I glanced to the sky. There was only one cloud now, resting lazily next to the moon. It looked like a boat of some kind. Huh. Weird.

Suddenly, the car swerved, hard. Cal shrieked, clutching my hand. I squeezed it, my free hand clinging onto my seatbelt that kept me in place.

"Mom?!" I yelped.

"Ruth!" Dad yelled.

"Sorry." Mom was confused. "There must have been something on the road...I'll increase the headlights." She did so, and started to continue along the seemingly clear road, but this time we didn't just swerve, we spun. Round, round, round, round. Cal's hand fused around mine, and we clung to each other tighter.

"Rose," he cried, sounding like a terrified child. Exactly how I felt. How we all felt.

"It's okay, we're okay," I chanted, more for my benefit than his. Our world was whizzing, blurring...the car spinning, teetering...Dad's swearing...Mom's scream...Cal's grip around my waist squeezing the life out of me...the car tilting further still...tilting, tilting...

We went airborne, flipping over and over again, crashing into the road. The sound of shattering glass and pained screams filled my ears, as I was thrown around in my seat, my head playing a game of ping pong with the back of Mom's seat and my own, turning my brain into liquid.

When the world was finally still again, my ears were still ringing, and I was dazed, breathless, my head foggy. I could smell a familiar scent of rust and salt, and could feel something sticky and warm dripping down from my forehead.

"Mom? Dad?" I called groggily. No response. "Cal?" There was still nothing. I tried to sit up, craning my head to see with my hazy eyesight.

And what I saw killed me.

I screamed in horror. Mom was slashed to ribbons, her body dripping with scarlet blood. Cal was half-lying, half-sitting on top of me, his head at an odd angle, his cheek split open. No. God, please, no.

"Dad!" I tried to yell, but my voice was barely above a whisper, getting stuck in my throat. "Dad!" I looked up, gently pushing Cal off me. Dad was no longer in the car - he was lying, motionless, in front of the car, the glass from the windshield scattered around him.

"No!" I fought to escape my seatbelt, desperate to help Dad and Cal - Cal, who hadn't moved and was now slumped in his seat - desperate to get out of the car. In the process, I banged my head against something hard and sharp. A searing pain coursed through me, making me cry out, but, still, I fought, my eyesight dimming...

_"Listen, Rose. You're gonna get out of here, you're gonna go on and you're gonna make lots of babies, and you're gonna watch them grow. You're gonna die an old... an old lady warm in her bed, not here, not this night. Not like this, do you understand me? "_

Huh? What the heck? I struggled to regain my senses, but my strength warned, and I felt my head slipping back onto my seat.

And then it was goodnight, Rose Dewitt Bukater, and I knew no more.

At least, for a little while.


	2. Pool of blood-soaked tears

2. Pool of blood-soaked tears

They were dead. My family were gone. Mom, Dad, Cal. I knew it as soon as I woke up in hospital and the nurse wouldn't meet my eyes or tell me where they were.

When the doctor arrived to tell me, I just closed my eyes. This was a dream. It had to be. I'd wake up soon and everything would be the way it was.

I never woke up.

The car wreck that had killed my family had caused minimal damage to me. A concussion, a cracked rib, a cut on my forehead, a few bruises...that was all. And that was so wrong, so unjust. I should be slashed to ribbons just like Mom. I should have been...something. Except, instead, I was fine.

Fine. Yeah. Sure.

Grandmomma visited me several times, crying for the family she'd lost. It felt so strange to think that last summer we had all travelled over to stay with her. The memories brought a lump to my throat.

Grandmomma firmly said that she wasn't abandoning me in my hour of need - I was to go and live with her for the rest of high school. So, I would now be living in a simple, two-story house, as unremarkable as my own had been. Had been... It was a house that wouldn't have Mom's special touch clinging to everything, wouldn't have Cal's laundry hanging outside, one that would be unfamiliar to me. I should care about that - I WANTED to care, so badly - but I just...didn't. I was empty, a shell and nothing more.

The various doctors and nurses who surrounded me threw me thousands of phrases like "I'm so sorry", and "You'll be okay". Words like "Fine". They were such meaningless terms.

They were sorry? So what? Them being sorry didn't bring my family back.

I'd be okay? Please. I would never be okay again, for as long as I lived. Even after death.

What did they know about being alone? About losing the people most precious to them? When they were finished with me for the day, they'd go home, hug their kids, share a meal...I would never experience something so mundane and enjoyable ever again.

I had no Mom, no Dad, no Cal.

Hell, I didn't even think I had any sanity left!

Hearing voices in my head? That wasn't normal.

Please, Rose. You had a concussion. Nothing more.

The police had come by several times, along with a social worker. They all wanted to know what had happened, but I couldn't answer. I could only remember blindly fighting against my seatbelt that had fused me into place, only remember hearing the voice (due to the concussion, as I kept telling myself), and after that, there was just noise - the sound of metal grinding together and men shouting about getting me safely out of the car.

After that...nothing at all.

"Hey," a voice said from the doorway. "You're Rose, aren't you?"

I blinked, forcing myself out of my memory fog, glancing towards the small room's only door. A girl my age stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame. She had frizzy white-blond hair that reached her shoulders and wide green eyes that were expectantly fixed on me. I realised, suddenly, that she wanted an answer.

"Yeah." It was the first time I'd spoken in hours. I swallowed, trying to wet my dry lips and speak more clearly. "Yeah. I'm Rose."

"Cool. I'm Coraline." She rolled her eyes at the mention of her name. "But, everyone else calls me Cora, yeah?"

"Um...yeah."

"So, anyway." She rocked back on her heels. "My visit. See, my Mom sometimes comes down here when they're gonna be short of staff, and she said that you need some company, so she got me down here as well -"

"I'm fine," I interrupted. Ugh. That bloody word again. Fine.

"Well, even so, I wouldn't want to deny a fellow sister a bit of love and a shoulder to cry on." She plonked down in the chair beside my bed, smiling. "And, yeah, yeah, I know. People don't open up to total strangers, but Mom wouldn't listen. Seriously, though, I won't bite if you wanna talk or anything."

"You could always tell your Mom that I was rude and kicked you out." Huh. I guess I was capable of humour again. Wouldn't Cal have been proud?

I quickly changed my train of thought, as Cora cracked a smile. "I'm not that mean."

"I should hope so." I raised an eyebrow.

"So...you lost your family?" She said suddenly, shuffling awkwardly, as if she instantly regretted asking.

"Yeah." I tried to keep my voice controlled.

"That sucks. Bad."

"Yeah," I repeated in the same monotone as before, as a loud buzzing noise came from Cora's pocket. She slid out a phone, glanced at it, before swearing vividly, making my eyes widen. She noticed and slipped the device away.

"Sorry," she said apologetically. "My useless boyfriend. When we get back to school after summer break, he'd better watch out."

Oh. School. Another aspect of my life that had to change. Grandmomma lived all the way out in Wisconsin, hundreds of miles away from home - well, where home used to be.

"Where do you go to school?" I asked Cora.

"Chippewa Falls. You know, the best school ever?"

"My Mom went there," I said. Ugh. I swallowed again, trying to control the burn behind my lids.

"Where do you go?" Cora asked me, oblivious.

"West Philadelphia." Not anymore though. Grandmomma lived in...the Chippewa Falls High district. Great. I'd be seeing a lot more of Cora, then.

"Huh," she said. "Do you know, we Cardinals kicked your asses in the sports league last year? Just saying."

"Did you?" I asked, confused.

"Oh, yeah." Cora gave me a smile. "Didn't you follow your sports at West Philadelphia?"

"No. Well, I didn't," I said truthfully.

"Oh. Well, that's probably for the best. I don't want to cause you anymore sadness when we beat you again." Her voice had become teasing now.

"That's..." I struggled for the correct - and clean - word. "Confident."

"You think we're a load of stuck up bastards, don't you?"

"...No," I said finally.

"Ha ha, pull the other one, Rose. So," She sipped the glass of water beside my bed that I hadn't touched. "You have a boyfriend?"

I frowned. "No." What a weird question.

After a pause. "Girlfriend?"

"No."

"Too bad. Not about the girlfriend, but about the boyfriend. You seem real nice."

"Oh. Thanks."

"Don't mention it, hun. Hey, you wanna go grab a burger? They aren't the best here, but you look like you could do with one."

Leave the room? Enter the outside world? The thought did not sound pleasing at all. However, I could hardly stay in hospital forever. I may as well get used to functioning normally. Well, as normal as I could get, anyway.

"Sure. Why not?" I tried to smile.

"Great!" Cora vanished for a second, but reappeared with a wheelchair. "Hop in. I'll spring you."

"Um...okay." I raised an eyebrow.

"I think I'm going to like you, Rose." She smiled.

"The feeling's mutual," I replied.

*POBST*

As it turned out, after the "burger incident" with Cora, I was discharged from the hospital and taken to Grandmomma's home in Wisconsin. To my consternation, Grandmomma saw right through my odd mumbles that I gave her every time she spoke to me, and so she spent hours, days, weeks trying to cheer me up. I should be crying, she said. I'd feel better. Only, I didn't have the heart to tell her that I couldn't cry. Every day, I felt the burn of tears behind my eyelids, but the droplets never formed. Crying made it all too real. If I didn't cry, I could live in the denial that none of this was happening. So, when the day of the funeral came, it was a surprise to everyone but me when I asked to skip it. Of course, Grandmomma was having none of it, and denied my request, dressing me in head-to-toe black for the occasion. Huh. Occasion. It made it sound like some kind of public vacation, not a funeral.

"Do you want to say a few words?" She asked me, as we walked up the little cobbled path to the cemetery where Mom, Dad and Cal were being buried, close to us, so we never parted. "Rose?"

My reply was instantaneous. "No."

"Are you sure? Your Mom would have wanted -"

"I'm sure," I snapped, harsher than I meant to. I couldn't...I'd fall apart right there, in that moment.

"This is your chance to say goodbye, Rose."

"I CAN'T say goodbye." I would never say goodbye - I'd spend the rest of my life hoping that it was all a crazy dream, and that I'd wake up soon.

A sigh escaped her. "Alright. Don't think for a second that what you're doing is healthy, Rose, but, alright."

I was relieved. "Thank you."

Of course, my peace didn't last very long.

The coffins were already lowered into the graves, headstones above them, silvery lettering etched onto them. I only had to get within viewing distance, before I fell apart.

"Rose?" Grandmomma held my hand. "Rose?"

"I -" I started to speak, but got cut off by a scream ripping from my throat. Then another. And another. I fell to my knees in front of the graves, sobbing, choking, gagging, falling into an abyss.

"NO! PLEASE, GOD, NO!" I screamed, feeling myself shudder every time I took a breath. Hands patted my shoulders, but I barely felt it.

Please, let me wake up. Please.

But, this was no nightmare.

This was my new reality.


	3. Curiously evil eyed

3. Curiously evil eyed

All too soon, summer break had passed, and I found myself waking up to the first day of my junior year. The thought filled me with nausea. Like I'd told Cora, Mom had gone to Chippewa Falls. What if her picture was hanging up in the hallways, or placed in a cabinet somewhere? If I saw it, I'd have a break down there and then, just as I had done on the bleak day of the funeral. Ever since then, I hadn't been able to function properly. I'd sit on my ledge seat by the window, staring out at...well, nothing, really. By the time the sun rose, my eyes were like sandpaper, and I had to practically crawl my way across the room to collapse into bed. Sometimes, I didn't even make it that far, and crashed out on the floor.

The bus drive from Grandmomma's house to Chippewa Falls High School turned the ten minute drive there into a forty minute journey. As I mentioned before, I didn't want to get there and see pictures of my Mom. I liked to think that I was stronger now, more in control, but I knew, truly, that it wasn't true.

I sat in the front of the yellow school bus, behind the driver, keeping my head down during the ride, glad that no one noticed me and my hunched posture. I was the first to leap off the bus as it pulled up outside the school, my steps as quick as my backpack that was thumping against my back.

I paused in front of the building, mouth open. So. Many. Kids! My stomach churned as I looked at all of them. At my old school, there were less than eight hundred students. There must have been at least fifteen hundred here. Some were tall, some were short. Black, white. Boy, girl. Rich, not so rich. Skinny, not so skinny. Clothed, practically naked. The number of kids was endless.

The building itself was sprawling and kind of creepy - Chippewa Falls students took their school colours seriously. And I mean SERIOUSLY. Never in my life had I seen so much red and white and black. Large banners hung from the spray-painted trees, the word CARDINALS! stitched across them.

I stopped by the front office and asked for a map, only to have the woman sigh condescendingly at me, and point to a stack of maps. I took one, muttering "Thanks." I'd never been good with directions.

As I was walking away, clutching the schedule that had been emailed to me a week previous, a tall, blond woman strode out of her office, saw me, and headed straight for me, lips pursed together. Had I done something ALREADY?

"You're Rose Dewitt Bukater, aren't you?"

"Um...yes, Miss," I replied, as she shook my hand, almost cutting off the circulation to it.

"I'm Dr Smyth. And don't think you'll be able to get away with calling me Miss, or Miss Smyth. It's Dr Smyth. Understood?"

"Er..." Was all I could say for a moment, before I nodded.

"If you need anything, Miss Dewitt Bukater, don't hesitate to let one of the assistants know."

"Thanks. I will -"

She didn't hear me, because she'd already stalked off, to yell at a freshman boy. I made my way into a hallway, almost being mowed down by several latecomers and a boy on a skateboard. I flattened myself against a block of lockers to prevent falling over. Soon, the crowds would thin...I hoped.

"Rose?"

My gaze shot from the rush of students to the blond girl beside me. I found myself smiling.

"Hello, Cora."

"Aren't you looking lovely today?" This was a lie, of course. I was wearing my oldest jeans and shirt, with my sneakers that were scuffed at the toe.

"You look nice too," I said politely.

"Thank you. Now, why don't you come with me, and I'll introduce you to some people."

"Um...alright?" It came out as a question, not an answer, but Cora led me across the hallway, to where a small group of girls my age stood.

"Rose, this is Molly, Bella and Summer." Cora pointed to each girl in turn.

"Hello," I mumbled.

"Hi, Rose," Summer replied, flicking her golden blond hair out of her eyes. She reached up and caught a strand of my hair. "Love the hair."

"Err...thank you." I felt my cheeks burning.

"Any friend of Cora's is a friend of ours," Bella said, giving me a shy smile. She seemed just as quiet as me - I was relieved that I had something in common with her.

"Rose is a very special friend of mine." Cora leant against my shoulder casually. "C'mon, I'll take you to your first class. We'll see you lot later, alright?"

"Hey, I'm having a party this weekend," Summer said, catching my arm. "To celebrate surviving the first three days of school. You'll come, won't you?"

"Um..."

"She'll come," Cora said for me. "I'll make sure of it."

"Don't I get any say in it?" I asked, turning to her.

"You'll be coming anyway," Cora said teasingly. "I'm just saving you the trouble."

"That's so kind of you."

"I know. So, have you got your schedule with you?" I nodded, producing it for her. She skimmed over it. "Awesome! We have lunch and last block together. Now, come on, your class is on the other side of the school - it'll be a hike."

"Are you there too?"

"Nah. I'm in there." She gestured vaguely with her thumb.

"Won't you be late?"

"Nah. It's only Cobblers. He lets me do what I like," Cora said, winking, twining her arm through mine. She had no problem pushing her way through the crowd, flipping off various people as she did so, keeping a steady commentary of everything I "needed to know".

"She's a bitch. He's a womanizer. They're both gay but in denial, so draw your own conclusions. He's cute, but dumb as a plank of wood. She's a two faced slut - AND YES, I'M TALKING TO YOU, NICOLE!" This last part was shouted, of course, before she turned back to me. "Just as a warning, Nicole will pick a fight over anything, which is why I'm advising you to avoid her. I never get into fights with anyone, unlike NICOLE!" Again, she shouted across the hallway, before continuing on, as if the short - but aggressive looking - Nicole wasn't sending a deathly glare at her. "He's gay. He's from another planet. She's awesome - high five, Elsie! Anyway, he's - CRAP!" She screeched to a stop, forcing me to do the same. "Don't look now, but my boyfriend's over there." She rolled her eyes slightly towards the group of boys that were leaning against a classroom door.

"Which one?"

She rolled her eyes again, snorting. "That short-assed one with blue hair."

I scanned the group, quickly spotting the boy with electric-blue hair. He wasn't looking at us though - thank God for that - he was looking off at a locker close to us.

"Hey!" He yelled, making me cringe. "Dawson! Get your lazy ass over here!"

"Dawson?" I whispered to Cora.

"Oh, yeah," Cora replied absentmindedly. "They never call him by his first name though. He doesn't like it."

"Why not?" I decided to search for this illusive "Dawson". "Where is he?"

"There." Cora spun me round and nodded towards a blond guy that was walking towards us. He noticed Cora, of course, giving her a smile as a hello. His eyes were blue - the colour of the ocean. I'd never seen a shade like that before. As I was thinking this over, he seemed to notice me, and glanced directly at me. In the span of a single second, we were no longer in a crowded hallway of people -

_- "Teach me to ride like a man."_

_"And chew tobacco like a man."_

_"And spit like a man!"_

_"What, they didn't teach you that in finishing school?"_

_"No, Jack, they did not -"_

"-Rose? Rose!" Cora's hand was suddenly waving in front of my face. "Hello? Earth to Rose? Anyone home?" I blinked and realised that I was n exactly the same place as I had been a few seconds ago. I took a shaky breath.

"Are you okay?" Cora looked worried.

"Yeah," I said weakly, realising that the hallway was practically empty. Crap. How long had I been standing here, staring at this guy? He was staring at me too, although that probably wasn't a good thing. He looked at me like I was insane. Or had grown another head. Since I knew that the second option wasn't true, it could only be the first. Great. My first day, and I was already considered a lunatic that had escaped from some place.

He strode past me, ignoring me completely, reaching Cora's blue-haired boyfriend, who slapped him on the back and said "Mind telling us what THAT was all about, Dawson?"

"That guy. Dawson," I began, leaning against the lockers, suddenly faint. "What's his name? His proper name?"

"Why? You interested in him?" Cora gave me a knowing smile.

"Just...curious." It wasn't exactly a lie.

"His real name is Jack Dawson, but he doesn't like being known by his first name. Seriously, Rose, you don't want to go anywhere near him. Trust me."

His name was really Jack? How had I known that?

"Why don't I want to go anywhere near him?"

"Have you SEEN the freaks he calls friends? They'll drag you down, girl." Cora rolled her eyes. "Plus, you're intimidated by him."

"I am not!" I protested.

"Sure. Whatever. C'mon, let's finish this on the way to your class."

Oh. Class. Crap - I'd forgotten all about it. Even though I didn't know why. I didn't care about some random boy I'd never met before, yet I was already imagining weird conversations between us. Nope, not caring at all.

We reached a small red door and stopped.

"This is you." Cora nodded towards it. I peeked inside, and felt my stomach churn. Kids were everywhere, and there were no empty seats. A teacher was at the front of the room, already lecturing. As soon as I walked in, there would be dead silence.

"Nervous?" Cora guessed.

"Wanna ditch?" I joked. "You know...ditch forever?" At least I'd never have to face this.

"Ha ha. Don't worry, they'll love you, Rose. And if they don't...tell me names and I'll make sure they do." I wasn't going to ask how she was going to make this happen - I could infer from the context. "Now, go get 'em, Rose...whatever your last name is."

"Dewitt Bukater."

"Mouthful, isn't it? Anyway..." She opened the classroom door, and gave me a gentle shove inside.

*CEE*

The first block passed with only a splash of humiliation. Mr Evil-expression (I had forgotten his real name) made me stand at the front of the room and explain about myself and why I was so late. Because, even on your first day at Chippewa Falls, you should be able to read a map.

Second and third blocks were simple and easy. I made it on time - thank you, Lord - and no one spoke to me on the way there, which I was pleased about. Trying to blend in was so hard when you had hair the colour of ketchup.

I sat through my classes, trying to pay attention, or at least trying to think of something useful. But, no. My brain had stumbled across Jack-Dawson-World, and was refusing to leave. I had so many questions. Had he seen anything when he looked at me? What had actually happened? He was looking at me like I had another head, but that could have been because I had basically raped him with my eyes. What would happen if I tranced out the next time I saw him? Sadly, I had been looking for him on my way to class, scanning every face, but there was no sign of him. Maybe that was a good thing. He creeped me out, and I'm pretty sure I did the same to him. What would happen if we spoke to each other? I could only see three outcomes.

1. He'd tell me to f*** off

2. He'd tell everyone I was f***ing insane and needed to be f***ing hospitalised

3. He'd ask me who the f*** I thought I was, because he sure as s**t hadn't seen me before in his f***ing life.

Oh, yeah. None of these outcomes sounded pleasant - I could already hear him cussing. A lot. I wished, suddenly, that I could talk to Cal about all of this. I confided in him more than I did in Mom. I imagined what he would say. He wouldn't laugh at me (well, not much, anyway). Instead, he'd listen to me burbling on, until I found a conclusion that satisfied me. And all he had to do was listen to me.

I felt myself wincing. I missed Cal. I missed him so much.

Well, what d'you know? My mind was going somewhere other than Jack-Dawson-World today.

The bell rang, shattering my monologue, and I jumped. Kids were leaving their chairs, stacking their books up on the front desk.

"Miss Dewitt Bukater?" The teacher - whose name I still didn't know - called to me, as my fingers grazed the door handle. "Can I have a word?"

Crap. "Um...sure."

"Look, I know that creative writing isn't everyone's favourite subject, but, I at least want you to try. Give it a chance tomorrow, eh? If you don't like it, then fine. Sleep, or daydream, or whatever you were doing today, okay?"

Fair enough. "Okay."

The door opened, just as I turned around, going flying into someone, tripping over my own feet.

"Whoa!" A pair of strong arms darted out and caught me before I bumped down to the floor. I looked up, meeting a pair of ocean blue eyes.

"Umm...I...err..." I stuttered stupidly. "Sorry. My fault." I quickly dodged past him, escaping the room, feeling his confused gaze burning holes in my back as I tried to stop sprinting down the hallway.


	4. What bloody nonsense!

**4. What bloody nonsense!**

I survived until lunch.

Cora met me outside my classroom and dragged me to the cafeteria, over to the table where Summer, Bella and Molly were already seated.

"Hey, Rose, Cora," Summer greeted, before launching into a detailed account of gossip about people I had never heard of. I tuned out, staring down at the graphitized table, until Cora's sharp voice brought me back to the real world.

"What do _YOU_ want, Nicole? Haven't you got someone to be shaking up with round about now, or are you just taking a break?"

"Whatever." I took this moment of opportunity to look Nicole over. She was short - shorter than what I'd first seen - and had sleek dark hair falling over her face, which was decorated by a permanent scowl that pinched the corners of her piercing blue eyes. "I didn't come here to bitch with you, _Coraline_."

"Why don't you piss off back to the store cupboard then?" Cora snapped, cheeks red. "I'm sure your newest fuck-buddy - Sorry, I meant _CUSTOMER_ - will already be there waiting. Or aren't you taking wages anymore? Turned over a new leaf, have we?" The words were said sweetly enough, but there was a biting edge to them, one which made me cringe. Nicole's scowl increased, before her beady, hawk-like eyes fell on my face.

"You're Rose, aren't you?" She demanded.

"Yes," I replied slowly.

"Piss off, Nicole," Cora interrupted. "Rose wants nothing to do with you..."

As they continued their banter, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. My eyes swivelled, searching for the source of my discomfort. My line of sight finally locked with a pair of ocean-blue eyes. I dropped my gaze at once, focusing back on Nicole, who was smirking for a change.

"It's Rose Dewitt Bukater," she said, her smile widening, yet not in a kind way. "I was just reading about you." She slammed a copy of a printed article on the table in front of me.

_**'DESPERATE TEEN LOSES EVERYTHING IN TRAGIC ACCIDENT'**_, the headline said. I felt my stomach start to churn. Thank God there was nothing in my stomach.

"Oh, yeah," Nicole continued, sensing my discomfort. "It's all in here. Listen." She lifted the paper off the surface, and began to read aloud. _"Yesterday, our journalists found out details of a shocking car accident that has devastated a family both in Wisconsin and Philadelphia. Seventeen year old Rose Dewitt Bukater was rushed to hospital in the early hours of Saturday morning, after being in a car accident that brutally took her parents and brother from our lives. Caledon Hockley, the branch manager of Project Z, at the mysterious Enigma Industries, was said to have been "the life and soul of the office, and will be missed by all. Our dearest thoughts are with his sister Rose -"_

Nicole never got any further than that. Cora, who had been watching me getting paler and paler as I heard what people were printing and thinking about us, had gotten up and punched Nicole hard on the cheek, cussing viciously. I barely heard a word, as I stood, shaking. The whole cafeteria was deadly silent, as I turned sharply and walked out of the room, head held high, trying to blink away the burn of tears that were gathering behind my lids. I broke into a run when I got out of the stuffy cafeteria, blindly sprinting down the hallway. I was aware of someone following me, but I was in no state to care. I found myself running up flight after flight of stairs, not sure where I was going, until I came to a stop.

I was standing on the school roof, leaning against the railing that separated me from the forty metre drop to the ground. Numbly, I felt myself climbing over the railings, leaning out. I knew that the rational part of my brain was screaming at me to stop, but my body wasn't listening. What would happen if I let go? Would it be the same as the car crash? Would I magically survive?

"Don't do it."

I shrieked, craning my neck around to see who it was. When I saw, I started to panic.

"Stay back! Don't come any closer!" I yelled.

"Come on, just give me your hand. I'll pull you back over."

"No, stay where you are! I mean it! I'll let go!" There wa silence for a moment.

"No, you won't." Jack said firmly. My mouth hung open.

"What do you mean "No, I won't"? Don't just assume that you can tell me what I will or will not do! You don't know me!"

"Well, you would have done it already."

"You're distracting me! Go away!"

"I can't. I'm involved now. You let go, and I'm 'onna have to jump down there after ya."

"Don't be stupid. The fall alone would kill you!" I protested.

"It would hurt. I'm not saying that it wouldn't. It'll hit you like a thousand knives stabbing you all over your body...Which is why I'm not looking forward to jumping down after you." He paused. "Like I said, I don't have a choice. I guess I'm kinda hoping you'll come back over the railing, an' get me off the hook here."

"You're bloody crazy," I muttered, leaning out a little further, tightening my grip on the railing.

"That's what most people say. But...with all due respect, Miss, I'm not the one hanging off the school roof here. Come on. You don't want to do this. You know you don't."

It was true. The rational side of my brain had regained control, and I reached out beside me, finding Jack's hand waiting for me. He put an arm around me, as I climbed backwards over the railing.

"Phew!" he said when I was back on his side. "I'm Jack Dawson, by the way." Of course, I knew that already. Through more than one way.

"Rose Dewitt Bukater," I replied.

"Uh, I'm gonna have to get you to write that one down."

"Dawson?"

"Gah!" I jumped, almost falling off the last rung of the railing. Jack's strong arm around my middle kept me upright. I turned my head slightly, to see Nicole standing there watching us, Cora just behind her. Nicole's lip was split, and there was blood on Cora's scalp, as if strands of her blond hair had been pulled out.

"What're you doing up here, Dawson?" Nicole said, scowling, of course. "The guys are looking for you."

"Coming." Jack released me, and followed Nicole back down the steps, pretending not to notice the dirty look Nicole sent me over her shoulder. When they'd both gone, I turned to Cora.

"What the heck was that all about?"

"I could ask you the same thing!" Cora squealed. "I heard you yelling, and I went to follow you, and Nicole came in the same direction, looking for Jack. Anyway, I tracked you up here, and I get here, and I find you getting it on with someone, and it's Jack - freaking - Dawson!"

"We were not!" I protested. "I was leaning too far over the railings, and I slipped. If Jack wasn't there, I could have fallen off the roof to my death. How lucky am I?"

"Amusing, isn't it?" Cora looked entertained. "I mean, you slipped so suddenly...and he still had time to remove his jacket. Which, by the way, is still here." She pointed, and I picked it up.

"When I next see him, I'll give it back to him," I said.

"Here, I brought your bag." Cora handed my backpack.

"Thanks." I bundled the jacket inside. "C'mon. I don't want to be late to class again. By the way, what was all that with Nicole?"

"Dude, you seriously don't know?"

"No."

"Nicole is the ex of the guy that you were practically stripping in your mind this morning!" Cora rolled her eyes, nodding towards the jacket. "You got part way there, Rose, so congratulations on that."

"Jack?" I frowned. For some reason, that didn't sound right. Jack wouldn't so that...Wait, whoa! Since when did I care who Jack Dawson interacted with? Never, that's when. It was none of my business...if only my ENTIRE brain could see that...

*WBN*

I took the jacket out of my bag when I got home. I hadn't been able to find Jack after school or on the bus ride home, and so I was stuck with it until I next saw him. I was glad that I hadn't tranced out this afternoon when I'd seen him. The morning must have been a one-off, a fluke. And I was NOT disappointed, whatever my emotions told me. I put the jacket on as I thought, slipping my arms into the too-long sleeves. It was soft suede, and was warm too, as if Jack had just been wearing it. I curled up, dragging my knees up to my chest, as if I was trying to hold myself all together. In a way, I was grateful to Nicole for what she had done today. She'd helped me start to move on from the accident, to show me that I didn't have to keep torturing myself with survivor's guilt. It had also given me the chance to talk to Jack, which I knew I should NOT care about. Don't care, don't care, don't care.

As I thought, I lay back on the bed, glancing around the small, boring room that I had been put in. It was the room I had always slept in when I came to stay with Grandmomma. It was horrible to think that in the rooms along the hall my family had once slept. Now, they were rotting in the ground. I sighed, glancing towards the window. A fluffy white shape caught my eye. It was familiar, and so I strained to see it clearer. I fell back on the bed with a squeak. It was the boat cloud, the same one I had seen just before...just before we had started to skid along the road, just before Cal, Mom and Dad had died. No. It couldn't be. My head found the pillow, and I squeezed my eyes shut. Couldn't be, couldn't be, couldn't be -

_"You're crazy," I said, shaking my head, my fingers gripping onto the ice-cold metal of the railing._

_"That's what they all say," the familiar voice replied. "But, with all due respect, Miss, I'm not the one hanging off the back of a ship here. Come on. Come back. You don't want to do this." _

_Why were these words so familiar? _

_Ignoring those thoughts after a moment, I clutched at his hand. It was warm and soft...comforting, in a way._

_"Phew!" he said, as he started to help me back over the railings. "I'm Jack Dawson." Yeah, I knew that already._

_"Rose Dewitt Bukater." My brain wasn't controlling my words. It was as if someone else was saying my words for me._

_"Uh, I'm gonna have to get you to write that one down - Whoa!"_

_I slipped on my flimsy dinner gown, and stumbled, falling forwards, a scream falling from my mouth._

_"I got you!" Jack said somewhere from behind me. Strong arms wrapped around my middle, pulling me up. "I got you, Rose - OOF!" We went hurtling backwards, falling down onto the deck floor, on top of each other. I blushed furiously, trying to move -_

"Rose?"

I gasped, jerking awake to the sound of Grandmomma's voice.

"Yeah?" I called back, wincing at the hysteria and panic in my voice.

"Oh, good, you're home. How did your first day go, dear?"

"Fine," I lied weakly. "I was just asleep...You woke me up."

"Aw, poor dear. Tiring, was it? You want anything to eat?"

"No, thanks!" I yelled back, suddenly glancing down at myself. I was still wearing Jack's jacket, one hand clutching part of the sleeve, the other wrapped around my waist. I quickly tugged the thing off, dumping it back into my bag. Bad enough that I was having hallucinations, now I was dreaming about Jack too?

Wonderful.

_**A.N: Please review or PM me your thoughts. Love to read them and to know how you're finding this story – I'm enjoying myself!**_


	5. Deadly return

_**5. Deadly return**_

My eyes burned with fatigue, as I wandered the halls of Chippewa Falls High the next day (Go Cardinals). There were more posters up today, now joined by streamers. I'd spent the entire night sitting by the window, wearing Jack's jacket, watching the world go by, hoping to slip into another dream about him.

Seriously, how pathetic was I?

I couldn't function without sleep for much longer. My limbs were like lumps of clay, my brain like mash potato. I stumbled through the hallway, trying to keep my eyes open. I just needed to focus, needed to get through the day in one piece. It was good advice that I gave myself - if only I had the brain power to follow it through.

Actually, there was one way to guarantee my distraction from lack of sleep - Cora. She was the perfect distraction. However, as I plundered through the crowd of people, I found myself searching for Jack Dawson instead. Was he where he'd been yesterday? I squared my shoulders as I rounded the corner. Play it cool, Rose.

Good thing I did. He was there.

"Hey! Rose, isn't it?" Oops. Someone was talking to me. It was one of Jack's friends - Cora's blue-haired boyfriend. He gave me a sunshine-happy grin, as I nodded. "I'm Jacob. You're looking good today."

"Thanks," I replied, shifting. Okay, so I'd dug out my best jeans and favourite shirt, which was sleeveless and made of white, eyelet lace. So what? Meant absolutely nothing.

"Why don't you make my dreams come true and come talk to us?"

"Um..." I turned my attention back to Jack, wondering if he'd encourage me over too. He was peering at me too, but he wasn't smiling. He was looking at me like I was insane again. The rest of the world washed away -

_- We were in the middle of a room filled with old-fashioned cars. Jack opened the door to a scarlet Renault, helping me inside, before dashing around to climb into the front, as I peered at him, entertained._

"_Where to, Miss?" he asked, trying – and failing – to speak with a British accent._

"_Hmm..." I dragged the word out, grinning. "To the stars."_

"- Rose?"

I blinked, the dream shattering around me, the real world swirling back into focus. A grinning Cora stood in front of me.

"There you are," she said. "Back from your mental vacation in Jackdawsonville, I see?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I lied.

"Trust me, Rose; I'm a very observant person. And, if you don't hurry up and get Jack Dawson soon, you'll be stuck on the SS Miserable with me."

I rolled my eyes, glancing over her shoulder. Jack – I was obviously staring at him – was...striding towards me. Crap! He'd probably demand to know why I was basically stalking him.

Like the coward that I was, I back away. "Thanks for that, Cora, but...I, um...I don't want to be late to class!"

Before Cora could question me, I spun round and practically sprinted down the hallway, taking the long way to class. Jack never caught up with me. If he'd even followed me at all - he had no reason to, after all. I slipped into the ladies just by my class to check my reflection in the row of smudged mirrors fastened to the wall. My cheeks were flushed, my lip swollen, as if I'd been biting it during my vision. My eyes were wild and burning, wider than usual, a more intense, deeper colour of blue.

I had no time to think of a good excuse. At that moment, Nicole sailed into the bathroom, clearly on a mission of some kind. She narrowed her eyes when she saw me, and then closed the distance between us.

"I don't know who you think you are, or what you think you're doing," she spat. "But, I swear to God, I will bury you if you hurt Dawson, or any of my crowd." I blinked, folding my arms.

"I think I'm Rose Dewitt Bukater, and I think I'm standing here minding my own business," I replied, surprising myself. "Maybe you should try it sometime."

Nicole scowled, having to look up to meet my gaze. "You better watch yourself. You don't want to see me angry, Rose."

"Because...what? You'll grow an extra few inches?" Nicole spluttered, eye burning. "Look, I don't want to be late to my class. Why don't you find me later, when you can come up with a decent insult."

I breezed past her, out into the hallways. As I turned towards my class, my gaze fell on Jack, who was at the end of the hall. He HAD followed me... He spotted me, and strolled towards me. Luckily, I reached my class before he could catch me, and I soared inside, shutting the door behind me.

Of course, I was late again. Mr Evil-expression made me stand at the front of the room and apologise to everyone. I could still see Jack outside the room, watching me with a frown on his face. I ducked out of his line of sight as soon as I could, going to my seat. It was also a relief when the class ended and I saw that Jack wasn't there. It meant that I wouldn't be stalked anymore, even though I did a fair bit of stalking myself when it came to Jack.

When the bell rang to signal lunch, a few hours later, I thought that Jack would fly out of nowhere and track me down, but he wasn't there. I'd already been forgotten, I guess. The thought should NOT make tears come to my eyes.

I trudged towards the cafeteria. No doubt Cora would want an explanation for my behaviour this morning, and I was pretty sure that "I had a vision this morning, and in this vision I was seriously considering getting it on with Jack Dawson" wasn't the best way to explain. Oh, boy, was I seriously screwed.

Just before I reached the cafeteria's open double doors, Nicole stepped into my path.

"You're not going anywhere," she growled, eyes narrowed. "Not this time."

"Do we really have to have another discussion?" I'd only been sarcastic when I'd told her to meet me later.

"Yes. We do really "have to have another discussion"!" She mimicked. "I saw Dawson chasing you outside the bathrooms this morning. You ran from him. Why?" She didn't even try to conceal her anger. "Are you playing hard to get? Because it's a little late for that, don't you think? The way I hear it, you can't keep your eyes off him."

My cheeks burned. People had clearly noticed my fixation with Jack.

"Why do you care?" I demanded. "It's not like you're dating him or anything."

"You have no idea about Dawson and me."

"You're right. And it's none of my business."

"I told you that if you hurt him, I'd hurt you. That still stands. Now, I'm telling you to stay away from him, or I'll wipe the floor with you before I do the hurting."

"If you want me to cry, and do whatever you say, try a more original threat."

"I am capable of things you can't even dream of."

"Right back at you."

"Brave talk from the skank - let's see you back that up."

"Let's see you piss off, Nicole. I doubt your paying customer will want to be kept waiting." I grinned at the familiar voice, as Cora strolled to my side.

"Coraline. Come to rescue another stray?"

"Oh, yeah. You looked like you needed to be saved. My Rose has skills, slut. So, clear off. And, the part about Jack? Seriously, he was just as bad! Practically undressing her with his eyes! If you got a problem, talk to him. It's a wonder Rose doesn't have bite marks all over her."

Nicole spluttered, as Cora linked her arm through mine, and sailed past her, taking me with her.

"That was awesome!" She grinned. "We need to do that more often."

"Yeah..." I replied, distracted. My eyes found themselves falling on Jack. We locked gazes, and my breath caught, waiting for another vision...but one never came.

"And she's off on another mental vacation..." I heard Cora say from beside me.

"Sorry!" I yelped.

"After that, Rose, you can't deny that you're interested in Jack Dawson."

"Well, maybe..."

"Hey, look at that!" I turned to look through the window that Cora was staring through.

"What?"

"Look at that cloud!" I peered into the sky, juddering to a stop.

It was the boat cloud. The same one I kept seeing, and was seeing more frequently. God...it was following me. What if it was some kind of omen for death?

"Weird shape, isn't it?" Cora commented. "Kind of like the Titanic."

"What?"

"The RMS Titanic. Y'know, the ship that hit the iceberg? That cloud looks exactly like it...Weird."

"Yeah," I echoed, trying to control myself. "Weird..."

_**A.N: R and R, guys!**_


	6. Advice from a dead man

_**6. Advice from a dead man**_

Cora talked about jack non-stop throughout lunch.

"He once ate a pound of rusty nails," she informed me, taking a bite of her tuna sandwich. "He said it tasted like unicorn tears."

"Ew!"

"And he helped Fabrizio body slam a teacher once. Oh, oh!" She clapped her hands. "It's still on YouTube, actually. Here, give me your number, and I'll text you the link."

"Sure." I gave her my number and took hers, even though I wasn't sure that I'd have a cell for much longer. Grandmomma had been paying the bill over the summer, because my phone held all the pictures of Cal and all of his texts. Not once had opened a text from him since the accident. I would do, one day, but not yet.

"Here. Have this." Cora halved her PB&J sandwich that she was just opening. "If I know my Rose, you're going to make a play for Jack Dawson."

"I am not." I wasn't THAT crazy...was I?

As Cora opened her mouth to protest, the bell for class rang, and I stood up. When I turned, I bumped into someone. I mumbled an apology, cheeks flushed, clinging onto the person's arms to sought out some form of balance. I opened my mouth to speak, but whatever I was going to say died a painful death, as I looked up...up...up...and saw that I was clinging onto Jack Dawson's arms, digging my nails in. He was solid and warm...Which meant that this was no vision. This was real.

"Well, well, well," Cora said, grinning, as my stomach flipped over two times in a row. "Are you here to take me and Rose to class or what, Dawson?" I saw Jack take a deep breath, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

"Well?" Cora put her hands on her hips.

"Rose." Was all he said.

"Me?" I squeaked. "Why?" But, of course, I kind of knew why.

He ignored me, however, to my relief. "Stop choking Jacob to death, Cora."

"He needs to be choked." Cora's eyes became slits. "He didn't keep himself to himself, if you know what I mean."

"He did."

"Did not."

"Did."

"Did not."

"Did!" He sounded like a child now. I was still holding onto him - I couldn't seem to let go.

"Did not!"

"Did!"

"Did not!"

"What are we, five?"

"Six, actually, Dawson."

"Whatever."

"I thought you wouldn't have anything to say. You coming, Rose?"

"I'm fine," I squeaked again, before clearing my throat and trying again. "I'm fine, Cora. Don't worry about me."

Cora rolled her eyes, mouthed "Good luck!" before skipping off to class, leaving me alone with Jack.

"So..." I dragged the word out.

"You have Mrs Geoffrey next, right?"

"Uh-hu. How'd you know?"

"Saw you yesterday," he said, with a shrug. "My class is the same building as mine."

"Oh."

"Come on then." We started through the hallways. People who saw us did double takes. I blushed and looked down, keeping my face hidden by my long hair.

When we were out of eavesdropping range, he turned and spoke.

"Whatever you're doing to me every morning...you need to stop, Rose."

"What I'M doing to YOU?!" I demanded. "How about what YOU'RE doing to ME?!"

"What AM I doing to you?" A smile played at the corners of his mouth.

"You tell me." Like I was really going to mention my crazy visions. He probably didn't even mean them - he was talking about me staring at him and fantasising about him. That was it. Nothing more.

When we reached my class - in awkward silence - I turned to him.

"Thanks for the escort. Let's NOT do this again sometime," I muttered.

He blocked my escape. "By the way, I'm sorry about Nicole. She won't bother you and Cora again."

"I wasn't worried," I said truthfully.

He seemed to be trying to fight a smile. "You should be worried. She can be...mean."

"I'm still not worried."

"Have you even been in a fight, Rose?" He pinched a strand of my fiery hair. "Because you look like someone out of a fairytale."

"The wicked witch, of course," I joked.

He snorted. "Please. The princess."

Umm...was that a compliment? I couldn't really tell - my heart was going too loud for me to concentrate.

"Yes," I replied after a pause. "I have been in a fight." I had taken judo once and had to fight the instructor. I had lost, of course, and had complained until Dad let me quit.

"With who?"

"No one you'd know," I said, my eyes falling on someone over his shoulder.

My heart stopped.

"Rose? Rose!" Jack shook me gently. "Rose, are you alright?"

"I have to go," I replied weakly, breaking away from him, and dashing inside the classroom, feeling white-hot poker spots in my back from his eyes burning into me. I could barely concentrate. I couldn't believe what I had just seen. This couldn't be happening. This was impossible!

I lasted until the end of the day. I rushed straight out of class, trying to get onto the bus and back home before I lost it, but Cora caught up to me.

"HEY! ROSE!" She bellowed, grabbing me before I could escape out into the parking lot. "Where are you going? I thought I agreed to give you a lift home."

Oh yeah. I shook myself. Wake up, Rose. "Sure. Come on, then. I - oh!"

We'd made it outside, and I had frozen on the sidewalk by the front of the school.

The sky was a gray colour, with no clouds in the sky...except for one. A large ship, with bulky funnels coming out of it, pointed at the front.

The RMS Titanic.

"Rose?" Cora's voice sounded so distant, so far away. "Rose, what is it?"

"I can't," I moaned, sounding like a ghost. "I can't. I'm sorry. No cars. Not today." A cloud couldn't predict my future, but it seemed to appear every time something happened...

"I'm sorry." I turned with my words, and ran across the parking lot, dodging the cars that were in my way. Cora yelled after me, but I didn't look back. I burst through the doors of the first bathroom I saw - not caring what gender it was for - and leant against the sink, trying to hold myself together.

"Rose."

I turned to the voice, gasping. It was a voice I never thought I'd hear again.

"Cal?" My voice was rough and cracking, tears starting to dribble their way down my cheeks.

Cal stood casually, leaning against one of the cubicles, as if he were a student here himself. He stared at me, his wolf-like eyes filled with an unreadable emotion.

"Rose," he repeated, and his eyes became desperate. "Get out of here."

"What?"

"Run home and lock the door. Go, Rose! Do it now!"

"Cal? What's going on?" I examined him carefully. His cheek, the one split during the crash, was perfect. No scar, no anything.

"Rose!" He almost screamed, causing me to reel back. "Get. Out. Now." He spit out every word. He was only ever like this with me when it really mattered.

"Where do I go?" I asked, but Cal's image was fading...shimmering...

"Hide." Were his last words before he vanished completely. Something inside me, some long-dead impulse, made my legs move into one of the cubicles, my arms reach out and lock the door. I sat on the toilet seat, bring ing my legs up to my chest...waiting.

I had only been waiting what seemed to be ten seconds, when the door crashed open, the lights hanging above my cubical flickering at the impact.

"Is she in there?" Someone yelled. It was a voice I didn't recognise. I clamped my mouth shut, trying to breathe as quietly as I could. I saw feet moving under the door, stop outside my cubical, before moving on.

"No. She's not in here."

"Dammit!" The first voice cursed. "Come on. There's only so many places she can be."

The door swung shut as they left. I exhaled, not realising that I'd been holding my breath. They couldn't be looking for me, could they? No. Impossible. What had I done? But, at least I knew why Cal wanted me to run...Was that really him?

"Rose." His voice echoed again, as if sensing my thoughts, but softer this time, as if to conceal himself.

"Yeah?" I whispered.

"Stay away from Jack Dawson. You don't know what the hell will happen to you if you keep this up."

"What do you mean?" But Cal had vanished once more.

Quickly, I swung my bag onto my back, and peered nervously out of the cubical door. No one. I did the same to the door leading to the hallway. Deserted. I slipped out of the bathroom, and turned down the hall, starting to run blindly for the nearest exit.

"It's all in my head," I muttered to myself, as I broke out into the rainy parking lot, which was now empty of everyone. I must have stayed later than I first thought. "It's all my head. Just stress."

However, something told me that this wasn't the case. Something told me that, although I didn't want to admit it, I, Rose Dewitt Bukater, had lived through this before...


End file.
